Writing: Give Up the Struggle, and Break Through

In his book The Breakout Principle, Dr Herbert Benson (who also wrote The Relaxation Response) describes a struggle/ release process that leads to a new level of awareness. When you struggle, and then completely give up the struggle -- just give up -- there's a chance that you can achieve a peak experience which leads you to a new level of functioning.

That's counterintuitive.

But it works.

Try that the next time you're struggling with a writing project. Say to yourself: "OK. That's it. I give up."

In his book The Breakout Principle, Dr Herbert Benson (who also wrote The Relaxation Response) describes a struggle/ release process that leads to a new level of awareness. When you struggle, and then completely give up the struggle -- just give up -- there's a chance that you can achieve a peak experience which leads you to a new level of functioning.

That's counterintuitive.

But it works.

Try that the next time you're struggling with a writing project. Say to yourself: "OK. That's it. I give up."